The Next Generation of MAGA Heroes — Exclusive Interview with Rep. Byron Donalds

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Charlie Kirk Show Episode: The Next Generation of MAGA Heroes — Exclusive Interview with Rep. Byron Donalds
Release Date: January 10, 2025
Host: Charlie Kirk
Guest: Rep. Byron Donalds

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Introduction: Welcoming Byron Donalds

Charlie Kirk opens the episode by introducing Rep. Byron Donalds, praising his dedication and future potential. Kirk emphasizes Donalds' role as a prominent figure within the Republican Party and his efforts in shaping conservative agendas.

Notable Quote:

• Byron Donalds [00:27]: "I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organizations ever."

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Congress Mismanagement and the Recent CR Bill

The discussion shifts to the recent events in Congress, particularly focusing on the mismanagement surrounding the passing of a Continuing Resolution (CR) bill. Rep. Donalds criticizes the opaque negotiation processes and the lack of transparency among House leadership, attributing the issues to traditional Washington politics.

Key Points:

• Mismanagement Identified: Donalds attributes recent Congressional dysfunction to traditional mismanagement and secretive negotiations among leadership.
• Lack of Transparency: Members were not kept informed about bill developments, leading to confusion and reliance on media reports for information.
• Impact of External Influences: External pressures from lobbyists and influential figures like President Trump and Speaker Pelosi impacted the bill's passage.

Notable Quotes:

• Byron Donalds [01:44]: "This is what happens when you kind of when Washington does what it typically has done, where we call it the four corners, when they kind of go into a room and nobody else knows what's going on."
• Byron Donalds [03:04]: "It's been, in my view, a very historic one. We started this Congress with a major fight over the speakership because members like myself and others wanted to see the ways of Washington change."

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The Need for a Member-Centered Process

Rep. Donalds emphasizes the necessity of adopting a member-centered approach within Congress to ensure that legislation reflects the will of the voters rather than being dictated by leadership factions.

Key Points:

• Member-Centered Processes: Advocates for increased transparency and member involvement in legislative processes to prevent last-minute alterations influenced by external entities.
• Preventing Future Missteps: Stresses the importance of avoiding organizational errors to achieve a robust legislative agenda for the upcoming year.

Notable Quote:

• Byron Donalds [05:40]: "It's incumbent upon the leadership to realize what went wrong and fix it immediately. If they do that, I think things will be fine."

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Evaluating Congressional Commitment and Accountability

Charlie Kirk probes into the commitment levels of Congress members, questioning why the legislative body cannot prioritize national responsibilities over personal or political conveniences, especially during critical periods like the holiday season.

Key Points:

• Process Inefficiencies: Critiques Congress for not utilizing simpler mechanisms like a brief continuing resolution to maintain government operations without extensive delays.
• Accountability Mechanisms: Discusses the importance of members staying engaged with their constituencies and maintaining transparency to uphold accountability.

Notable Quote:

• Charlie Kirk [06:50]: "How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions? Mine was pretty easy. Focus on my well being."

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The Influence of President Trump and Future Political Strategies

The conversation delves into President Trump's impact on Congressional dynamics and the potential shifts in political strategies with his incoming mandate. Rep. Donalds highlights the transformative influence Trump has on invigorating conservative movements and the importance of leveraging this momentum to enact substantial legislative changes.

Key Points:

• Trump's Mandate: Recognizes Trump's role in reshaping Republican strategies and empowering grassroots activism.
• Political Power and Primaries: Explores the possibility of using Trump's influence to challenge and remove uncooperative members of Congress through primary campaigns.
• Engaging Young Voters: Acknowledges the critical role of engaging young voters in sustaining and expanding conservative successes.

Notable Quotes:

• Byron Donalds [12:25]: "The focus of the leadership likes to be in leadership. So everything is always about the next election and keeping the majority."
• Charlie Kirk [12:18]: "Do you think that we'll be able, with President Trump's incoming mandate, the bully pulpit, the political power that he has, the ability to snap a finger, he could remove a member of Congress literally through a primary campaign."

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Term Limits and Congressional Turnover

Rep. Donalds advocates for the implementation of term limits within Congress, arguing that it fosters fresh perspectives and prevents stagnation. He counters common arguments against term limits by emphasizing the benefits of cyclical leadership changes and the infusion of new talent.

Key Points:

• Pros of Term Limits: Promotes the idea that regular turnover prevents career politicians from becoming detached from their constituents and encourages continual rejuvenation of ideas.
• Countering Longevity Arguments: Refutes concerns about losing institutional knowledge by asserting that ineffective members will naturally be replaced by more competent individuals.

Notable Quotes:

• Byron Donalds [26:53]: "I will tell you, in Florida, we had term limits. I would have never had the opportunity to serve in the state legislature and have this opportunity now if it wasn't for term limits."

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Building and Maintaining Majorities Through Agenda Accomplishment

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the strategic importance of maintaining Congressional majorities by successfully accomplishing legislative agendas. Rep. Donalds explains that achieving key policy goals not only fulfills voter expectations but also solidifies the majority's power for future elections.

Key Points:

• Agenda-Centric Leadership: Emphasizes that a clear and achievable legislative agenda is essential for maintaining majority support.
• Long-Term Political Strategy: Discusses the importance of consistency and persistence in policy implementation to gradually shift states like California towards Republican dominance.

Notable Quotes:

• Byron Donalds [12:50]: "The purpose of majorities is to accomplish your agenda, and the purpose of accomplishing your agenda is to change the way the government works and the way your society is organized."
• Byron Donalds [22:24]: "The three issues in Florida... were education, crime and economy. That's what they focused on when Florida was a blue state."

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Engaging with Constituents and Local Communities

Rep. Donalds highlights the necessity of direct engagement with local communities to build trust and support, ensuring that constituents are aligned with Republican policies and priorities. He underscores the importance of grassroots efforts in securing electoral victories and sustaining long-term political success.

Key Points:

• Continuous Local Engagement: Advocates for regular interaction with community members to understand their concerns and rally support.
• Building Relationships: Stresses that effective political strategies are built on strong, ongoing relationships rather than one-time campaigning efforts.

Notable Quote:

• Byron Donalds [17:30]: "Electoral politics only work when you are engaging people locally on a continuous basis. It's about building relationship, not just getting votes."

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Audience Q&A: Addressing Constituents' Concerns

The episode concludes with a series of audience questions, where Rep. Donalds provides insights and advice on various topics, including accountability of newly elected officials, preventing future political unrest, and the ongoing investigations related to past events.

Selected Audience Questions and Responses:

1. Holding Elected Officials Accountable:

   • Question: "How can we make sure we hold [flipped] seats accountable but don't fall back into the blue side?"
   • Response [17:30]: "Constantly be in communication with him and his staff on the Hill... Electoral politics only work when you are engaging people locally on a continuous basis."

2. Preventing Future January 6th Situations:

   • Question: "Is there a plan to prevent anything like January 6th from happening again?"
   • Response [27:19]: "Nancy Pelosi should have made sure that the Capitol was secured. The J6 committee was a travesty of justice."

3. Term Limits Debate:

   • Question: "Can you speak to the pros and cons of term limits?"
   • Response [29:45]: "In my view, there's only pros, not cons... it's better off for the republic and for the people that we serve."

Notable Quotes:

• Byron Donalds [25:49]: "If you get elected and you're not smart enough to figure this thing out, then you're going to get unelected."

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Conclusion: Final Thoughts and Future Outlook

Charlie Kirk wraps up the episode by thanking Rep. Byron Donalds for his insights and participation. He reinforces the themes discussed, emphasizing the importance of grassroots activism, effective legislative strategies, and the ongoing efforts to reshape the political landscape in favor of conservative values.

Closing Remarks:

• Charlie Kirk: Encourages listeners to engage with the show and remain active in their political involvements.
• Byron Donalds: Reinforces the commitment to legislative success and community engagement.

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Key Takeaways

• Transparency and Member-Centered Processes: Rep. Donalds advocates for greater transparency in Congressional negotiations to ensure that legislation aligns with the will of the voters.

• Term Limits as a Catalyst for Change: Implementing term limits is seen as a crucial step in preventing political stagnation and promoting fresh perspectives within the legislative body.

• Leveraging Trump's Influence: President Trump's mandate is pivotal in energizing the conservative base and challenging uncooperative Congressional members through primary campaigns.

• Grassroots Engagement: Continuous and meaningful engagement with local communities is essential for building lasting political support and ensuring electoral success.

• Strategic Legislative Accomplishments: Successfully achieving legislative agendas not only fulfills voter expectations but also reinforces the majority's hold in Congress for future political endeavors.

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This episode of The Charlie Kirk Show offers an in-depth look into the current dynamics within Congress from Rep. Byron Donalds' perspective, highlighting the challenges and strategies for advancing conservative agendas in a complex political landscape.

Transcript

[Charlie Kirk]

Hey, everybody. I think you're really gonna love this conversation with Byron Donalds. He's gonna be amazing in whatever he does in his future. Maybe you can guess what that is. Become a member today. Members.charliekirk.com that is members.charliekirk.com subscribe to our podcast and open up your podcast application and get involved. Turningpoint [e-mail] that is tpusa.com Buckle up, everybody. Here we go. Charlie, what you've done is incredible here. Maybe Charlie Kirk is on the college campus.

[Byron Donalds]

I want you to know we are lucky to have Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk's running the White House, folks. I want to thank Charlie. He's an incredible guy. His spirit, his love of this country. He's done an amazing job building one.

[Charlie Kirk]

Of the most powerful youth organizations ever.

[Byron Donalds]

Created, Turning Point usa.

[Charlie Kirk]

We will not embrace the ideas that have destroyed countries, destroyed lives. And we are going to fight for freedom on campuses across the country. That's why we are here. Noble Gold Investments is the official gold sponsor of the Charlie Kirk Show, a company that specializes in gold IRAs and physical delivery of precious metals. Learn how you could protect your wealth with Noble gold investments@noblegold investments.com that is noblegold investments.com it's where I buy all of my gold. Go to noblegoldinvestments.com Byron, great to see you.

[Byron Donalds]

It's great to see you, Victory. It's great to see you, my friend.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thank you.

[Byron Donalds]

Victory feels good.

[Charlie Kirk]

Amen. So I want to talk about the election, what happened, but I've been running an event, running all over the place. Can you explain what happened during this last week with the cr? Just help, help us make sense of all that because it's so confusing. Just as we're trying to run our lives.

[Byron Donalds]

So look at its core. It's mismanagement. This is what happens when you kind of when Washington does what it typically has done, where the. We call it the four corners, when they kind of go into a room and nobody else knows what's going on. The difference between today's Washington and the Washington we all know is that there is real outside influence that can stop garbage bills from being passed at the last minute. So, you know, when members started saying no publicly on this bill, Ellen comes out, says his bill should not pass. President Trump comes out, says this bill should not pass. At that point, they had to go back to the drawing board. And that's when members came in the room working with the leadership to get to what we got to here. The Big thing now is next year, which really starts in a week for us. We can't have any missteps. We have a large agenda. We have to get through. Not a lot of time to do it.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah. So help me understand, and I'm not trying to get you in any trouble, but mismanagement by who? The leadership team in the House of Representatives.

[Byron Donalds]

In the House, yeah.

[Charlie Kirk]

Is it fair to say again, I don't want to name any names, but like, you know, you know who. Is it fair to say, though, that this was negotiated in private over a course of six weeks, is that right?

[Byron Donalds]

Yeah, it is. Because members were asking questions, where are we with this? What's our game plan? Weren't really getting any real answers. Then you start hearing rumors around town. We hear there's a package. We hear this is in it. We hear that's in it. And you weren't really hearing anything concrete until you know whether it's lobbyists, staff members start coming back to members and reporters saying, hey, we hear it's going to be about 500 pages.

[Charlie Kirk]

Wait, hold on. So you're learning about the bill from the media?

[Byron Donalds]

Sometimes, yeah. Sometimes you hear about it from media.

[Charlie Kirk]

So we know as much as you know?

[Byron Donalds]

Basically, yes. And I will tell you, and let me expound on this. The 118th Congress, which is the one that just ended, has been, in my view, a very historic one. We started this Congress with a major fight over the speakership because members like myself and others wanted to see the ways of Washington change. And we actually did accomplish a lot of those things. But to be blunt, when McCarthy got vacated, a lot of the stuff that we kind of got accomplished was rolled back. And it was really, it was embodied in what came out this last week. So we have to get back to the drawing board, get back to making it a member centered process. If it's a member centered process, you don't have these issues and you have, frankly, the will of the voters reflected in the packages that come out of Washington.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, I just. Just from a process standpoint, let alone the actual result, which we all know is garbage, just how it works for six weeks. How. I mean, you're a very well respected member of the body, that you're not even involved, I mean, let alone notified. And you're learning from CNN that we're gonna go give money to Biolabs or something.

[Byron Donalds]

Yeah, look, I'm gonna tell you this.

[Charlie Kirk]

That is even worse than I. And I had like the lowest possible opinion of Congress. That's worse than I could have been.

[Byron Donalds]

When you start hearing things from the lobby corps, from K Street, from staff members and from media before you hear from it, from your leadership, that's a problem. And I will tell you there. I will tell you there is a lot of us who are. Who left DC either this morning or last night, saying we're not going into 2025 operating this way. We're just not.

[Charlie Kirk]

Again, feel free to just kind of take the Fifth. Does that mean a personnel change?

[Byron Donalds]

I'm not going to comment.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, okay. That's fine. Yeah, okay. No, it's. I invoke my Fifth Amendment rights to.

[Byron Donalds]

Well, well, look, let me.

[Charlie Kirk]

No, no, I'm gonna.

[Byron Donalds]

I will expand. I will expand. It's incumbent upon the leadership to realize what went wrong and fix it immediately. If they do that, I think things will be fine. If they don't or they don't come to a recognition of that, there's gonna be other discussions that are gonna be made.

[Charlie Kirk]

I don't fault anyone for voting for the final version of this thing, which I still think was not the desirable outcome. But help me understand, just a process side of it, because you've been amazing. Byron. He's so great. He fights every day. He's just been terrific. And I. Help me understand, though, why Congress did not just work through Christmas and do 10 or 12 appropriation bills and just said, hey, you know, nurses have to work on Christmas Eve. Airline pilots have to work on Christmas. We're not entitled to a Christmas vacation while the country is being screwed up. We're just going to work all the way through until January 3rd. If we have to shut down the government for a couple of days, we will. It seems as if there's like this lifestyle, sense of urgency that we are so entitled to a Christmas vacation. We just need to kind of vote for this because we have no other option. Like, help me understand that, like, you guys should still be there. For all intents and purposes, I agree. Hammering this thing out. Right.

[Byron Donalds]

There was a conversation that was had. Not yesterday, the day before, where we're looking. Honestly, the package that ended up was not the best one we're starting to look at. How are we going to get the agenda done? Because President Trump has a mandate, so how are we going to get that through Congress? There are some major adjustments to spending that are going to have to be made. There's a lot of us where our attitude is, go home, see your family for Christmas, get back to town the 27th, and let's just work because it's going to Be a day in, day out.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, there could have been a CR til the 27th though, right? We could have done a continuing resolution. So you guys get a Christmas vacation. Go breathe. But we're not gonna fund the government in this. Because by the way, CR should be like five sentences, right?

[Byron Donalds]

Yes, it should be.

[Charlie Kirk]

Not 150 pages, let alone 1500 pages.

[Byron Donalds]

The leadership, to be blunt with you, the leadership and the Democrats and also you have a lot of our colleagues where their view is we'll fix it next year. I just want to get out of.

[Charlie Kirk]

January's here. Can you believe it? How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions? Mine was pretty easy. Focus on my well being. And we all know the foundation of well being is a good night's sleep. So if I could do just one thing to improve my sleep and overall well being, it is taking the number one mineral for that which helps me personally on so many levels I can't even describe it. Yes, I'm talking about magnesium. Actually. I'm talking about magnesium breakthrough by BiOptimizers. The seven different forms of magnesium in the supplement are involved in over 600 different biochemical reactions in the body. Pretty much every function your body gets upgraded when you take magnesium from the quality of your sleep to your brain function, from metabolism to stress levels. And let's face it, Even if your 2025 resolution is not to focus on your health as it is mine, how are you going to be able to achieve all your goals without quality sleep and stress management support? Really. So do yourself a favor and make magnesium breakthrough part of your daily routine this year so you can get the vitality you need to conquer your dreams. Go to the URL now and enter code Charlie. To get 10% off your order, go to magbreakthrough.com promo code Charlie. I'm not an expert, but I've seen this for 12 years. How much of the destruction of our country actually is just. People don't want to just stay there over a Christmas break. It's. It's insane to me.

[Byron Donalds]

It's. I want to say it's not Christmas break. What this town likes to do is bring everything up to the last.

[Charlie Kirk]

That's exactly right.

[Byron Donalds]

So it's not to the Christmas. It's. What were you doing in June and July? But, but what are you doing in September?

[Charlie Kirk]

Again, I don't want.

[Byron Donalds]

That's where the.

[Charlie Kirk]

I don't want to overemphasize on this, but I think it's so important. Byron. The excuse was in June or July, it's an election year, so we can't do anything controversial during an election year, right? Well, what in the fresh hell is their excuse right now? I mean, we've never been so far away from an election.

[Byron Donalds]

But I will tell you, that's why when that deal came out, you had so many members go against it, because members like myself and a lot of my colleagues, for sure, they were like, we just won a major election. Why are we acting as if we need the Democrats to bail us out of something? Like, we won. So at this point, we should be dictating terms, not having to go to them saying, well, this is what we're trying to accomplish. What do you need? Because please, please, please. That stuff you can't do, because once you start that way. Charlie, you've been in negotiations. Anybody that's worked, you've been in negotiations. Once you start coming to the table, like you need something 100, you're done.

[Charlie Kirk]

And I just, look, everybody wants something in life, everybody fears something in life. And you have to find the combination of those two things.

[Byron Donalds]

Right?

[Charlie Kirk]

What does Senate. This is a general thing, not a personnel question, because it's all the same. You could replace. Replace the Speaker. It's interchangeable parts. Okay? So if you get rid of Johnson, you might just have someone who's like, the same. And it might be a good idea, it might not be. The point being is that what does the average House leader want and what do they fear most? What do they want most and what do they fear most? Psychoanalyze to me those people, because it's a mystery.

[Byron Donalds]

What they want most is to keep the majority. Okay, so let me.

[Charlie Kirk]

They have that, thanks to Trump, but.

[Byron Donalds]

I'm going to expound upon that. And by the way, you're correct, they do have it because of Trump. The focus of the. And this man right here, you are correct, and this man right here. Leadership likes to be in leadership. So everything is always about the next election and keeping the majority. Even now the conversations are, well, we're going into the midterms. The odds are we're going to lose. So we have to do everything we can to keep the majority. My position and the position of a lot of. A lot of members who agree with me, a lot of them you'll probably hear from today are if you accomplish the agenda, that helps us get to keep the majority. But you got to do something.

[Charlie Kirk]

It's also, what good is a majority going to do anything?

[Byron Donalds]

Like, the purpose of majorities is to accomplish your agenda, and the purpose of accomplishing your agenda is to change the way the government works and the way your society is organized. And the only way you get to that point is you have to institutionalize an agenda. And say what you will about Nancy Pelosi. She's never had a problem making her members walk the plank to accomplish their agenda. And we have to be agenda minded, we have to be mission minded, and that actually helps you keep your majority.

[Charlie Kirk]

What do they fear most?

[Byron Donalds]

Not being in leadership.

[Charlie Kirk]

Yeah, I mean, that's. That's sick, actually. I mean, you know, I fear what you fear most. What I fear most is losing our country, obviously. That's what. That's our drive. What we love most, and what we want most is to save the country. Okay. So I think we've gone through that. Are you hopeful that this. I mean, look, President Trump. This is why President Trump is so successful, because of garbage like this?

[Byron Donalds]

Yeah.

[Charlie Kirk]

Because he's an insurgent against all this stuff. Do you think that we'll be able, with President Trump's incoming mandate, the bully pulpit, the political power that he has, the ability to snap a finger, he could remove a member of Congress literally through a primary campaign. Do you think this will change with President Trump taking office on January 20?

[Byron Donalds]

Some of it will. But I will stress to you, the thought process and the working process of the leadership in both chambers is going to be critical to that, because that town has its own muscle memory, which Donald Trump ran up against the first time. Now, the thing that the town doesn't like more than anything else is the fact that he's had time to now think about it, which is problematic for them. But can we do it? Yes. It takes will more than anything else. And where I will dovetail, Charlie. And this goes to the work you did during this campaign because you demonstrated that young voters can go to the polls and pull the lever or check the box and vote for the future of this country and vote for conservatism and common sense and Republicanism, however you want to view it, because you proved what the political world said could not be done, it gives wind in the sails of people in D.C. to say, you know what? Maybe we should do this. The other thing is, you got to have people who are just willing to go home to get the mission done. Like, I don't care. Send me home. I'll go make money. I like money. It's great. My wife might be happier than being in Congress, but she's happy. Don't get me wrong, ladies and gentlemen, she's very, very happy. But you get what I'm saying. But you got to have members who understand the purpose is to come and accomplish it, not to come and stay.

[Charlie Kirk]

Amen. And I want to get to questions because you're tight on time here. Byron is very talented. You made money before you went into Congress. You had a great business career, all that stuff.

[Byron Donalds]

Yeah.

[Charlie Kirk]

There's so many people that go into Congress, though, they have a substandard skill set where this is like the biggest thing they'll ever do. So they never want to let it go. And for them, this is like the dream. You don't have to work. You have a bunch of people serving you all the time. They call you congressmen, you kind of act important. And so they never want to lose that thing because for them, that is a way over accomplishment. Giving their skill set like a way over accomplishment.

[Byron Donalds]

One pushback. I will tell you, since probably 2016, there's a new, A new way.

[Charlie Kirk]

I agree.

[Byron Donalds]

The new way of remember coming in, they, these people actually have done stuff and I think they're adopting more of the mindset of I'm not coming here for a 30 year career. They're coming in to serve. Might be eight term, might be eight years, 10 years, but then they want to go home. Like I told my district, you got 10 years max out of me, and then I'm going home because it's time for somebody else. And so I think you have that wave of people coming in into the House which is going to make it easier to get, not just to pass tax cuts or not just to make sure we secure a border, but to make sure that becomes the way that the town thinks about these policies. That's the institutionalization of the America first agenda, which is the real North Star that we need to accomplish.

[Charlie Kirk]

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[Byron Donalds]

You already got me in trouble, Charlie. But that's okay.

[Charlie Kirk]

Okay. I just said you have a great future. I think you got a great future. Okay. Hey, I'm Stephanie from Michigan and we flipped a Democratic seat to Republican with Tom Barrett. That was the Slotkin seat, right? Correct. And he's an excellent guy. He was at many events that I got to speak intimately with him. He was very sweet. How can we make sure we hold him accountable but making sure we don't fall back into the blue side in that region of Lansing?

[Byron Donalds]

Oh, this is a great question. So first of all, how you hold him accountable is you want to constantly be in communication with him and his staff on the Hill. Staff is everything we say in Washington. Personnel is policy. So whoever's working in the office tends to dictate because the members were running all over the place. So you want to stay in contact with the staff and with him as much as you can. His schedule, especially these first six months, he's not going to be home a lot because we got a lot of work to do. So we're going to be in Washington a lot. But that doesn't mean he's not doing the right thing. Second thing is you got guys like me to now that you said that, I'm going to find them. And I'm like, hey, Tom, I saw some of your people. I'm going to be, I'm watching. But for your area, and this is important. Electoral politics only work when you are engaging people locally on a continuous basis. It's about building relationship, not just getting votes. And so if you are constantly in your community having these conversations with kids who are in high school now who then become college students and then, or then they can become young adults, they're in your churches. They, they they're in your communities. They might. They're at the local bar, they go to the local restaurant. When I give speeches in areas, I talk sometimes to the people who are working the room, not the people who are sitting at the table. Because the people that are sitting at the table, they already agree with me. I mean, y'all agree with me. That's cool. I get it. The people that are working the Phoenix Convention center, those are the folks that we need. And when you think about how to go through the process over the next two years, you want to be focused on the working men and women of your community. If you have them in alignment, not in 100 agreements, in alignment with where your philosophy is, it is easier to get them to vote your way when it comes to elections.

[Charlie Kirk]

Very good. Next question. Daisy, Charlie and Byron, thank you. I'm actually a pastor in Southern California.

[Byron Donalds]

So it's a quick question.

[Charlie Kirk]

My name's Shane Idleman. I know you, Charlie. Good to see you. Good man. I can't see you back there. That's okay. I was on the pastor's panel in San Diego. That's a courageous guy.

[Byron Donalds]

Quick, quick question.

[Charlie Kirk]

Well, I have you both here. Newsom's up in two years.

[Byron Donalds]

Who's this?

[Charlie Kirk]

Who's what? Are you strong candidate for Republican in California, number one. Number two, is, is it even possible to get hopeful because of, we know, the shenanigans and the rigging and things like that, but a lot of red in California now, too. It's going in that direction. So curious your thoughts?

[Byron Donalds]

Oh, boy. California.

[Charlie Kirk]

I think Steve Hilton is thinking of running. I like Steve a lot.

[Byron Donalds]

Oh, yeah, he is thinking about it, actually.

[Charlie Kirk]

And I think Steve would be really interesting to look at if he decides to run. He's a great patriot and I think he's dynamic enough to be able to make it close. Look, I mean, the likelihood of winning back the governor's race in one year is low. But California moved the most to the right of any state in the country in 2024. It was the most to the right of any state. And look, you gotta go county by county. Here's my best piece of advice for Californians is, guys, win back the Orange county congressional seats and then go out from there because it's local and also national impact that helps us grow our majority, which obviously, you know, leadership only cares about. But honestly, we want to try to get those Democrats out. But California is a long term project and I think it's possible maybe 10 years, 15 years. Think of it this way. If you Improve California to be one point more Republican for the next 15 years. It becomes a red state. And you say, oh, that's too far out. That's what the Democrats have done to us. That's what they did. Colorado, okay. They said, okay, if we just win by one and a half points for 10, you know, lose less by one and a half points for ten years. And now Colorado is super, super deep blue. Honestly, that's what Byron did. And everyone in Florida, Florida used to be a battleground state. You're like, hey, every year we're just going to make it two points redder. And now you guys are winning races by like 17 points.

[Byron Donalds]

That's crazy. Look, to add to that point, Florida, 35, 35 years ago was a blue state. It was. I mean, it's obviously, it's the best state in the country now, but it was a blue state, so. But it takes consistency over time. I will tell you, especially in California, it's the same recipe for Lansing, Michigan. You have people in those communities who are frustrated. They just don't know why. The Democrats in California, obviously, they have a massive machine. You know, they're talking about some lady running to be governor out there. I don't know her name. I don't think anybody knows her name because she lost.

[Charlie Kirk]

But anyway, Hillary Clinton.

[Byron Donalds]

Oh, yeah, maybe. But it's about consistency over time. That is the key thing in a state like California. And I will also tell you this. If you can slowly move that state, you now shift the Electoral College for the presidency and the balance of power in the Senate in a major way.

[Charlie Kirk]

That's right.

[Byron Donalds]

So just be consistent, lock in, see your people every single day. Last thing I'll say real quick.

[Charlie Kirk]

Go ahead.

[Byron Donalds]

The three issues in Florida, as I was told by the political leadership of that time, was education, crime and economy. That's what they focused on when Florida was a blue state. Education, crime and economy. So I would say that's the three areas I probably will focus on in California.

[Charlie Kirk]

And I'll say this, I think that California has this amazing opportunity thanks to President Trump. And hear me out, we had Tom Holman here yesterday. I think all of a sudden, when the people of California start to see San Francisco get a little bit cleaner and illegal, start to leave their communities, and they can thank Republicans for that. I think there's an opportunity to really move people to the right because they'll be up before and after picture of when the federal government comes in and starts this mass deportation force in California, which will happen, and these communities start getting liberated. I think there's a great opportunity there to seize on that, lean in on it and win California back. For Republicans as we step into 2025, the one thing is clear, de dollarization is accelerating. China and the other BRICS nations are determined to reduce their dependence on the US Dollar and establish themselves as global economic superpowers. Their secret weapon? Gold. China resumed buying gold recently, and you know what's even more telling? They underreport their buy. Does that make you wonder why they recognize its global value and ability to withstand economic shocks. Gold is a global asset with innate value. It's tangible, reliable and immune to economic manipulation. China and other BRICS countries want to be prepared. They just don't want it to be known. But this is not about other nations. It's about you. In a world of shifting economic power, gold is your hedge against uncertainty. Noble Gold investments can help you secure a financial future with gold. Visit noblegoldinvestments.com today to learn more and you'll receive two 5 ounce silver America the Beautiful coins when you open a qualified account, that is. Noblegoldinvestments.com noblegoldinvestments.com hi there, Lydia from Ohio. If Trump's cabinet is approved, as we assume, and they execute all their tasks as planned, how can they make sure if a Democrat party comes back into power, they don't undo everything the way Biden did with all the executive orders? It's a great question.

[Byron Donalds]

It is the most important question. The first part is this is why elections do have consequences. You got to at least have a blockade somewhere. The second thing is, and I think the one positive out of COVID 19, it was really a reset, I think, mentally for how people see the country and what they want out of our government, the next year is going to be critical in that step because it is about deportations, economy, border security, foreign policy. If those things get back in the line the way they need to be, then it gives the voices of all of you here at Turning Point. But then this new ecosystem of alternative media, which is in some respects becoming bigger than big media now, it gives that ability. You think it's bigger now?

[Charlie Kirk]

I think alternative media for the right is way bigger than traditional.

[Byron Donalds]

Yeah, it probably is. But that gives. Those are the building blocks you need in order to keep these ideas going. Obviously we have to do the business next year. I don't want to get ahead of myself talking about 2028, but if we do our job next year, not just on Capitol Hill but also in our communities, continuing the effort of being engaged with voters on the ground that will keep your majorities in 26 and that will help you hold the White House in 28.

[Charlie Kirk]

Very good. Next question.

[Byron Donalds]

Chris Nordstrom from Idaho. So, Congressman, would you support a convention.

[Charlie Kirk]

Of states to propose term limits for Congress?

[Byron Donalds]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Look, I'll just be, I'll just tell you straight. There's a lot of, you know, a lot of my, there's some, there's only a handful of colleagues that really been around a long time, actually, on the Democrat side of the aisle is where they have members who do not leave the Republicans. If you look at us, especially over the last decade, members average average term is around six to eight years. On our side, we have some older members. Mr. Lucas of Oklahoma, Mr. Cole of Oklahoma, we have some members that have been in Washington probably since Newt came in, but that's the vast minority on the Republican side of the aisle. But I will tell you, in Florida, we had term limits. I would have never had the opportunity to serve in the state legislature and have this opportunity now if it wasn't for term limits. So I do believe that people need to move on, move up or move out, make room for other people to come in.

[Charlie Kirk]

Next question. How you doing? My name is Jacob Todd. I'm from Louisiana. I was there for January 6th in 2021. And I just wanted to say if there's anything that's in plan for this inauguration to prevent anything like that from ever happening again, especially after Ashley Pavitt. Well, yeah, first of all, I don't know if you got arrested, but hopefully all of them get pardoned. So I don't know if you're good. We got to get pardons for all those guys.

[Byron Donalds]

I agree. Oh, look, I think that the speaker is going to make sure that doesn't happen. One of the biggest issues that happened with January 6th is that Nancy Pelosi was derelict in her duty to make sure that the Capitol was secured. Donald Trump provided 10,000 National Guard troops on January 4th. They were authorized. The mayor of Washington, D.C. put the National Guard on traffic duty. And in that enduring and people need to know this during 2021, during January 6, 2021, this was Covid. Nobody was coming to D.C. so there was no traffic because nobody was driving in to go to work because all of the district was shut down, that what happened was wrong. Nancy Pelosi should have made sure that, that the place was secured. And I believe it is correct that then FBI director Mr. Wray, or he's probably still with us hasn't resigned yet. He, they actually transmitted intelligence to the Capitol there about concerns on January 6th. We don't know what happened with that because Nancy Pelosi stopped the Oversight Committee from investigating what the Capitol Police knew and when they knew it. And then the J6 committee was a travesty of justice. We all know that.

[Charlie Kirk]

Thank you. And Louisiana, we're going to get rid of Bill Cassidy sometime soon. Don't worry. So. Yes. Next question.

[Byron Donalds]

Jamie Rapis from the great state of Wisconsin, you know, will we ever find out what happened in Butler? That was the first Trump rally that CNN carried live. You had the photographer in the well that happened to have, you know, one 3,000 speed camera going and taking pictures of Trump at that immediate moment. So will the American people ever know what really happened that day? Yes, and I would say we're going to get that information probably somewhat sooner rather than later because when you have a change in administration, it's going to open up a lot of things that are going to be investigated.

[Charlie Kirk]

And on top of that, I'm pushing the incoming administration to do a major whistleblower protection program so all the whistleblowers of the Biden administration can come forward and blow the whistle. We have time for one more question. Brenda Gifford, Phoenix, Arizona, thank you for being here and for all that you do. We keep having a conversation about term limits and I appreciate what you said, but it seems to me that it's such a catch 22. It's really hard to know the pros and cons. Can you speak to that, that conundrum a bit, please?

[Byron Donalds]

In my view, there's only pros, not cons. I know that everybody has a great member of Congress. You have some great ones here in the state of Arizona. They are awesome men. They are patriots. However, nobody is promised anything forever, not in this life. And I do think that on par, term limits are better off for the republic and for the people that we serve. I've heard the arguments about how you would lose institutional knowledge. Well, guess what? If you get elected and you're, and you're not smart enough to figure this thing out, then you're going to get unelected. And, and, and, and, and I will take the collective wisdom of people who come to Washington or go to a state capital over those who become so, so enamored with their own intelligence because they've been there too long. They're stuck in the game, stuck in the process and do not see what's happening on the ground in the lives of people on a day to day basis.

[Charlie Kirk]

Byron Donald's Everybody, thanks so much for listening. Everybody email us as always, freedomarliekirk.com thanks so much for listening and God bless.

[Byron Donalds]

For more on many of these stories and news you can Trust, go to charliekirk.com.